Leaders from ten opposition parties in Manipur led by the Congress raised concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged disregard for the people of the violence-affected northeastern state.
They criticized him for failing to meet with opposition leaders before embarking on his visit to the United States.
The Congress party specifically criticized the Prime Minister for making time to meet with film writer Manoj Muntashir, who has been associated with controversial dialogues in the movie “Adipursh,” while neglecting to meet with senior leaders of the country.
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar claimed that Muntashir had a 45-minute meeting with Modi without an appointment, whereas leaders from Manipur, even those from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were unable to secure an audience with the Prime Minister.
During a joint press conference held at the party headquarters, Ajoy Kumar stated, “Since June 10, numerous senior leaders from Manipur, including political figures and members of civil society, have been waiting here to meet Prime Minister Modi. Even Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the Assembly speaker are awaiting an appointment.”
Kumar further expressed disappointment that senior leader Ibobi Singh, who served as the Chief Minister of Manipur for 15 years, and many other prominent leaders from Manipur were unable to meet with the Prime Minister, while a scriptwriter managed to do so without an appointment.
The delegation of ten parties also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office regarding these concerns.
Ajoy Kumar was joined by former Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Keisham Meghachandra Singh, and other opposition party leaders, who expressed their disappointment that the Prime Minister did not spare even ten minutes to meet with them before his trip to the United States.
Kumar emphasized that the opposition leaders had been present in Manipur for the past ten days, hoping to meet with the Prime Minister. “Not only these leaders, but the people of Manipur also feel deeply disappointed that the Prime Minister had no time for them,” he added.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ibobi Singh held Chief Minister Biren Singh responsible for the failure, as the latter himself acknowledged it to be an intelligence and administrative lapse.
“We, as citizens of this country, were waiting here to meet Modiji. We did not come here to beg something from the Prime Minister, but what has occurred in Manipur should be considered a national issue. The mishandling of violence in Manipur reflects the failure of the coalition government,” the former Chief Minister asserted.
He further pointed out that even Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur after 26 days, which lasted three days, did not contribute to the restoration of peace. (Edited)
